Chapter 166

Fiona

I run.

Nothing is more important right now than getting to Isla’s car. My feet pound against the driveway as I lock my sights on Isla’s car just beyond the gate. There’s nothing else. It all fades away, leaving me and the gate and the car.

I don’t look back, not at the house and not at him. I let my sole focus narrow down to what’s important.

Freedom.

“Fiona!”

Isla jumps out of the car and runs to the gate, her hands wrapping around the black iron.

“Come on! I’ll get you out of here!”

“Wait! You can’t—”

The guard freezes for a moment before he disappears and the gate creeks. Shock races through my body, but I don’t stop. I don’t let it hold me back. Instead, I let it fuel me to run faster, until I’m nearly stumbling over myself to get into Isla’s car.

“Go, now!” I order, not wanting my luck to run out.

I’m not sure what Ethan is doing or why he decided to let me go, but he did. The horrified, wide-eyed expression on Ethan’s face as I screamed at him earlier didn’t process at the time, but it pops into my mind now. I expected him to ignore me or argue back, but he didn’t.

He just stared at me, apologized, and told me to go.

He gave me my freedom back, even though he’d argued against it the entire week I was at his house.

“Are you okay?” Isla asks, tearing away from the large home. “You look awful. Should I take you to the hospital? Did he hurt you? Why aren’t you answering me? Why did—”

“No. Just take me back to the house. I want to forget any of this happened,” I mutter, curling my legs up to my chest. Why did he let me go so easily after keeping me locked up? What happened to all the things he said about not being able to survive if he lost me?

My stomach churns at the thought, my instincts kicking in and telling me that something is going on that he didn’t talk about. Is it something important? Is it the reason he let me go?

I’m leaving tomorrow…

Leaving tomorrow…

Leaving…

I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the words, but they continue, echoing over and over and over until I can’t think of anything else. He’s leaving.

Gone… possibly for a long time, or maybe for a short time. I try to think back, dig through the moment. I dive into the memory to find what he said. If I’d taken a moment to stop and listen, I—ugh. Then it hits me. What he’d said between my angry screams.

…going to prepare for the Challenges. I don’t know…

…I don’t know…

What had he been about to say? Was it something about the Challenges? Is that the reason he let me go?

Sighing, I fiddle with the hem of my shirt, turn, and look out the window. What didn’t he know? At the time, I didn’t listen to what he said before the annoying apology, but now that I’ve had time to think, I can’t help but wonder if Ethan thinks something bad is going to happen. Does he expect something to happen while he’s away that’ll keep him from returning?

Is he having doubts about the challenges? Worries?

No. He couldn’t… wouldn’t. Ethan is a strong werewolf, Lycan, beast-thing and he wouldn’t go into this-or anything else- without thinking about it. Like he always does, or he did. Though, I don’t think he had much forethought when he kidnapped me.

I rub at the ache in my chest.

But what if there is something wrong?

The question resurfaces even though I try to push it away. I can’t help but think about it, my mind spiraling as Ethan’s words continue to repeat in my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I try to calm down. I shouldn’t be worried about Ethan and his decisions, but a hint of guilt wiggles its way into my gut as we grow further and further from his house. I shake my head. It’s over, and I shouldn’t dwell on it because that’ll only make the pain worse. He said he was leaving, leaving the East and leaving me. That won’t change.

Not that I want it to. I don’t want anything to do with Ethan anymore, not after what he’s done. This time, Ethan crossed a line so far that he can’t even see it anymore. That rotten, no-good, lying little—

He could be seriously injured or even killed. Ryan’s words suddenly pop into my mind, and I freeze.

“No, no, no,” Isla says, pulling me from my thoughts. I look over at my best friend to find she’s parked in her driveway and is turned sideways to look at me. Her sharp, knowing eyes narrow on me. “Don’t you dare feel sorry for that bastard, Fiona Bowen,” she hisses. “There’s no reason he should’ve kept you locked up like that. No one in their right mind would ever do something like that to someone they care about.”

“I know,” I mumble, tucking my chin as a yawn fights its way out of my chest.

“You really should go to the hospital and call the police. He can’t get away with hurting you like this, so you could—”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“Too bad. Fiona, I love you, and I need to know you’re okay. Did he hurt you or force you to—”

“No,” I snap, instantly feeling bad when she pulls back. Her hand falls from my arm briefly before she laces her fingers through mine and squeezes.

Dropping my eyes to our hands, I swallow back the exhaustion that threatens to overwhelm me. I drag in a heavy breath, my breathing growing slower and more relaxed as I go.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Fiona. You’ve been through a lot in the past week, and I’m just worried. I didn’t want to say it, but Fiona, you look like you’ve lost fifteen pounds and have the plague. I’ve never seen you so pale before,” she whispers, cupping my cheek. I lean into the warm touch, longing for something soothing to erase the past week.

“Will you hear me out?” She asks, and I nod. I know she’s just worried, so I have no right to snap at her like I did. She’s just trying to help.

“I think a restraining order and a hospital visit are in order. I don’t think Ethan should be able to get away with locking you up like this, and you look really sick. I think a doctor should check you out,” she tells me, her voice barely a whisper as if she thinks it’ll keep me calm.

She’s probably right, but I can’t do that to Ethan. He didn’t really hurt me, at least not physically, but I can’t explain that to Isla. She’d think I was crazy, probably try to have an entirely different type of doctor check me out.

“I won’t get a restraining order. Ethan won’t be bothering me anymore—”

“You can’t guarantee that, Fiona. He may have let you go today, but that doesn’t mean he won’t come after you again,” she argues.

Ignoring that statement, I continue, “I’ll go to the doctor if I don’t get better. Right now, can I just go in and rest?”

Isla opens her mouth to respond, but closes it when I ask, “Please?”

“Fine, but we’re not done with this conversation,” she says then climbs out of the car. Before I can move, she’s at my door, opening it and helping me out. I allow her to help me inside, because honestly, my weak legs shake as we walk, my stomach churns, and stars swirl in my vision.

I allow myself to lean on my friend as she takes me up to my room.